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Must I
hire a professional Sign Language
Interpreter?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 mandates that a
comprehensive variety of public and private services as well as
employers must be accessible to all people, regardless of
disability. When dealing with people who are Deaf, Deaf-blind, or
hard-of-hearing, this means that communication must be accessible. The primary language used to
communicate in America is spoken English. Many Deaf, Deaf-blind, or
hard-of-hearing people use American Sign
Language to receive information and communicate.
Whenever Deaf,
Deaf-blind, or hard-of-hearing and hearing people wish to
communicate with each other a qualified Sign Language interpreter for the Deaf is often
required, and sometimes mandated by law.
Can someone from our office who knows a little sign
language act as the interpreter?
Sign language interpreting is a
highly specialized field; simply knowing both Sign
Language and English does not qualify a person as an interpreter. The
professional Sign Language interpreter is able to adjust
to a broad range of deaf consumer preferences and/or
needs for interpretation. Some deaf individuals use
American Sign Language, or ASL, a natural language with its own
grammar and structure that is distinct from English.
Others prefer a form of signing that more closely
follows the grammar and structure of spoken English. The
professional Sign Language interpreter is expected to work comfortably
along this wide spectrum. Sometimes it is necessary to
have two or more interpreters working simultaneously in
order to satisfy the preferences and needs of a varied
audience. On occasion, one of the interpreters may be a
deaf individual or a person fluent in a language other
than English or American Sign Language. Sign Language interpreters
should be aware of and sensitive to ethnic/cultural and
linguistic concerns.
A coworker, or someone who is responsible for other
duties in your workplace, should not be put in the
position of interpreting for a Deaf colleague or
customer, and there is no guarantee of quality,
accuracy, or confidentiality of information.
Misunderstandings almost always occur when a "signer" is
used as an interpreter, but all parties may never be
aware of just where the communication broke down.
What situations require hiring
a professional, qualified Sign Language Interpreter?
First, it is always best to ask the deaf person if he or
she feels that it is essential to have a Sign Language interpreter
present by writing the question on paper. The deaf
person is usually the best judge as to whether or not a
communication within a particular topic can be followed
through writing, lip-reading, or gestures. This would
depend on the length of discussion, the terminology
involved, the action that must be taken, or the severity
of the decisions made by all parties involved. For
example, in cases of banking transactions, a Sign
Language
interpreter is not needed to make a bank deposit, but
might be necessary when applying for a mortgage or
making appropriate investments. At the ophthalmologist's
office, choosing frames is a simple matter, but
discussing eye surgery would call for the aid of a Sign
Language
interpreter. At the hospital emergency room, a cut
finger requiring 2 stitches might be handled quickly
without much communication, but a patient admitted with
internal pain would probably need an interpreter to
explain whether the pain was followed by eating
something or running a 5-mile jog. From there the doctor
would need to explain the tests ordered and the results.
The examples below are some situations requiring the
service of a professional Sign Language interpreter:
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Medical appointments: visits to doctors, specialists, community health
centers and
hospitals |
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Legal matters: police interviews, meetings with
attorneys, correctional facilities, court |
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Educational environments: schools, colleges, universities |
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Appointments:
bank and financial meetings, real estate transactions |
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Employment-related situations: job interviews,
business meetings, training
opportunities, award ceremonies |
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Special occasions:
religious ceremonies, social functions |
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Public functions: performances, conferences,
public forums, community information seminars |
Who pays for the interpreting services?
The ADA states that all public and private agencies that provide
services to the general public, and all employers with 15 or more
employees, must be accessible. This means that, if your agency,
service, or business is accessible to people without disabilities,
it must be accessible to people with disabilities. Additionally,
companies with 15 or more employees must follow fair hiring and
employment practices when considering candidates with disabilities.
(However, the ADA is superseded in Washington State by RCW , which
covers employers with 8 or more employees.) Therefore, it is the
agency, service, or business which is responsible for payment for
interpreting services.
Interpreting services should be budgeted as part of annual
planning for accessibility services. It is true that, on a
per-encounter basis, you may pay more for interpreting services than
you generate in revenue for your business. However, if you consider
the cost over the course of a year as an overhead cost of doing
business, providing accessible services is quite reasonable. This
is to be compared with the installation of a ramp for
clients or employees who have a physical disability. A
business would not consider charging the one person for
the total cost of the ramp. It is added to all costs to
run the business for the year.
How can I be sure that the interpreter I obtain through
Sign Language Resources, Inc. is qualified?
Sign Language Resources makes it a top priority to work with only the most
qualified Sign Language interpreters in the area, and carefully
matching the particular needs of each consumer with the
skills of a
prospective Sign Language interpreter. Registry of Interpreters of the
Deaf, (RID),
located in Silver Springs, MD, is an organization which
administers the credentials that Sign Language interpreters hold and
requires a certain number of hours of continuing
education on an ongoing basis. RID also expects Sign
Language
interpreters to abide by a Code of Ethics, insuring
professionalism toward all and confidentiality for all
communication that takes place. In addition, SLR honors
preferences made by consumers before a service is
provided and graciously accepts all feedback after a
service is complete.
Don't all or most deaf people read lips?
Many deaf people can read lips to some degree, but only
the most practiced lip-readers can get even a basic idea
of what the conversation is about from lip-reading
alone. Since most of the sounds hearing people make are
located in the base of the throat, many sounds are not
even visible on the lips. People who use this method
regularly in conversation with hearing people report
that it is exhausting work, can only be done in very
short segments, and the major portion is guess work at
best obtaining less than half of the information with
the rest filled in with previous knowledge. It requires
that the lip-reader has a very good prior understanding
of the topic being discussed. For any new information,
it is like a hearing person plugging his ears and trying
to lip-read Japanese or Russian. Many deaf people choose
American Sign Language and their preferred language mode. It is
best to ask the deaf person what they prefer before
embarking on a discussion of importance.
But I understand the deaf person so well. Do I still
need a professional Sign Language interpreter?
There are many deaf people who, through years of speech
therapy, are quite articulate when it comes to
vocalizing their questions or responses. Don't be fooled
into thinking that the deaf person can with equivalent
ease understand your speech through lip-reading. It must
be stressed that for communication to be truly mutually
understandable, please ask the deaf person what he or
she prefers. And in all cases when a professional Sign
Language
interpreter is hired, it is not only for the deaf
person's sake. Both parties do benefit from the
interpreter's services.
How far in advance should I make a request for
interpreting services?
This takes into consideration two things: First, the
amount of time it takes Sign Language Resources to contact the
Sign Language interpreters
that have the skills and experience in the location
needed might be 24 to 48 hours (or 2 business days). The
second, even though SLR might be able to make the calls
to pagers, home and cell phone, and emails, it is still
very possible that no interpreter can be found with the
correct qualifications as most interpreters book up
their schedules weeks in advance. We recommend:
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between 1 to 2 weeks for short (1 or 2 day)
assignments |
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approximately 4 wks for long term assignments |
It is worth noting that in the case of an emergency SLR
will drop everything and make every attempt to find a
Sign Language interpreter immediately.
Often interpreters can make themselves available through
our help in covering their other work. Please don't
hesitate to call us.
Another point worth mentioning; should you find yourself
with less notice to make a request due to a last minute
announcement or change, please call us anyway. We will
still do everything possible to obtain services for you
as the time slot may just work into an interpreter's
schedule.
We may, however, need to charge a premium for the extra
coordinating time necessary to fill a last minute
request.
If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to
contact SLR.
Also see:
About Interpreters
About the Deaf
Community
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